HER SONG JACKSONVILLE, INC.

Her Song is addressing a gap in comprehensive services by creating a continuum of care and is currently the only nonprofit in Northeast Florida providing for the spectrum of unique needs of this under-served, misunderstood population. The organization provides trauma-informed restoration services for female survivors of human trafficking to help them on their journey to empowered independence. Because human trafficking is degrading to body, mind, and spirit, Her Song focuses on whole person healing.

Our residential program provides care within the context of a strengths-based, empowerment-focused environment and consists of three progressive phases – rest, recovery, and reintegration, all with intentional goals. These stages of progression provide survivors with time, support, a safe space, and a prescribed pathway from victimization to empowered living.

In November 2017, we opened Freedom Cottage, the area's first and only residential facility for survivors of human trafficking. We are currently working to open a flagship home similar to Freedom Cottage, which will increase our total capacity to 10 or more. We anticipate breaking ground on that facility in 2019.

Our organization, founded in 2013, right here in Jacksonville, serves female victims of human trafficking in three phases – rescue, recovery, and reintroduction.

During rescue, victims are removed from their trafficker – typically by our law enforcement partners – and given basic needs like food, safe housing, clothing, and basic medical care.

During recovery, we provide them with trauma-informed care including mental health counseling, life skills training, and workforce readiness programs.

During the reintegration phase, we help the women set an intentional strategic plan to control their own futures. During phase three, reintroduction, we support the women as they put all their newly learned skills to practice in a transitional setting.

Her Song has over five years of experience working with survivors of human trafficking. Executive Director Rachel White is a licensed mental heath counselor. In November 2017, we opened Freedom Cottage, the area's first and only residential facility for survivors of human trafficking. It is currently operating on a waiting list and is staffed by 3 full-time and 3 part-time direct care team members.

In 2017, Her Song grew rapidly and garnered strong community support increasing our revenue by 137%. Our faith-based partners, local foundations, and individuals gave generously to support our cause. We ended 2017 with strong giving and a 4-month reserve of operational cash. This growth allowed us to hire staff, including our Executive Director, a Development Director, and 2 Residential Coaches. These new staff along with new funding sources have created sustainability for our daily work and enabled us to poise ourselves for growth in 2018.

In addition, five years of strategic planning paid off when Freedom Cottage was opened November 1, 2017. For the first time in Jacksonville history, a safe home with programming was launched for survivors of human trafficking and space for 4 young ladies opened up. Generous donors provided furniture, paint, flooring, bed linens and many household items to make it a home. More than 50 volunteers provided over 2,800 hours of work to help make Freedom Cottage a reality and Her Song remain strong. Clients who had been waiting months in a shelter or unsafe living environments moved in that day. As a result of this notable achievement, Her Song was featured in several broadcast and print news articles. Our Founder was awarded the FBI's Community Leadership Award in Washington, D.C. in April of 2017 by former Director, James Comey. With these successes and many small, behind-the-scenes, daily victories in the lives of survivors, we are leaning into the year with expectations high and skillful, hard work to match.

What's next?
1) Expand residential care for trafficked women including increasing our capacity for care to 8 or more beds.
2) Continue to provide holistic, empowering programming that is focused on trauma recovery, substance abuse recovery, and life skills education, preparing women for life and work.
3) Continue search for 10-15 acres with a minimum of at least 6 acres of buildable land. The activities at any given time during the year will be along the continuum of: Identify, Evaluate Land, Select Land, Campaign for Purchase of Land, Purchase Land, Prepare Land, Break Ground on Land, Campaign to Build & Staff Home, Build Home and Barn.